English supermodel Kate Moss has officially earned her weight in gold thanks to English artist Marc Quinn‘s latest sculpture called Siren. His sculpture of Moss is said to be the largest solid-gold statue to be made in the world since the time of Ancient Egypt. Quinn estimated the value of the life-sized, 110 lbs, three feet tall (because she is in a seated yoga pose) sculpture at more than £1.5 million.

Le Cool Publishing is a completely independent publishing company that is dedicated to creating guidebooks filled with the most awesome underground experiences that reflect the city’s true flavor rather than the “hippest or latest” lemming crap.

I am excited to report that as of this May, the London version was published… putting it in my ninth installment of All Things English.

Designed by Jeremy Leslie at John Brown, A Weird and Wonderful Guide to London is the gateway to a city of freaks and wonders, of the kind you hear whispered about in dark corners, but were never quite sure existed. Edited by Mat Osman, it takes you by the hand and leads you throughout the city, from New Cross to Mayfair, opening closed doors and revealing secrets that might just change your life.

Here’s a sneak peek…

Buy it or any of the other European cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam or Lisbon) here.

It is all about the Royal College of Art Show. On display is silversmith designer Kathryn Hinton‘s great bowl & fork set. The prongs of the forks correspond with the words imprinted in the bowl as though stamped during a feeding frenzy. Brill!

And Freddie Yauner‘s exit sign that comes to life when you aren’t looking. Reminds me of the secret little creatures in Kage no Sekai that I love so much.

It seems that punting is a quintessential past time for English University students and… tourists alike. So how do you tell them apart aside from the cameras slung around their necks and slightly-louder-than-necessary voices? Their punting skills, of course!

Cambridge University, worried its undergraduates have lost the knack, has come to the rescue with a how to guide to what has become a dying art of punting. The Bluffer’s Guide to Punting, written by the Punt Society of St John’s College, explains how to start, lift the pole, and steer – and how to avoid an embarrassing plunge into the water. The guide tells learners how to look like a professional in a series of illustrated cartoons. It also warns novices against the biggest mistakes of all – looking like a tourist, or worst still an Oxford student. Of course, it wouldn’t come from Cambridge without a few Oxford jabs…

Tim Soong wedding plans were wrecked after British Airways managed to lose his luggage which included his and his best man’s suits, and the bride-to-be’s wedding dress. As if that wasn’t bad enough, BA continued to add insult to injury by not offering an apology or compensation for their error

He got revenge by posting a covert music video on YouTube that pokes fun at the travails of British Airways £4.3 billion new home at Heathrow with its delayed flights, long queues and faulty lifts. The video has since become a runaway success and the song, which is likely to be released as a single, is getting repeated plays on London radio stations.

Any traveler can appreciate these lyrics:

The news ain’t good. I’m stuck in a queue. After 15 hours, it still hasn’t moved. They lost all my bags. They lost my wife too.

I asked an official what’s going on but she didn’t seem to know exactly what’s wrong – something about robots and a luggage machine.

And did I know this building was opened by the Queen? Well that’s really interesting but I should be on holiday in Italy – Vespas, ciao and fettuccine.

I’m surrounded by airport insanity.”

The debacle which followed the opening of Terminal 5 last month has also spawned an Internet game called Terminal Panic in which Willie Walsh, the airline’s chief executive, tries to load bags onto the carousel without being hit by a luggage trolley.